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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — a phone
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — to get on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — a committee
  10. vault — a safe
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bass — low music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bass — the fish
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. face — part of the head
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com